


Of Metal Arms and Ballet Shoes

by PhoenixPrism



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Experimentation, F/M, Feels, Hydra (Marvel), Implied X-Gene (X-Men), Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, It's almost a crossover at this point, METAL ARM, Mental Health Issues, Mentions of X-Men - Freeform, Past Brainwashing, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Red Room (Marvel), Romance, She doesn't know what most things are, Wings, caws - Freeform, mentions of the KGB
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2018-11-17 13:09:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11275944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixPrism/pseuds/PhoenixPrism
Summary: She was a weapon, a weapon in the hands of HYDRA. But when a mission goes wrong and she gets a new lease on life, it gets more complicated.





	1. Chapter 1

Everyone has a name, right? A lot of people would agree to this, but she didn't. She was a girl without a name. She never understood. All of the other girls in the program had names but she didn't. They started dubbing her Blank, but she never thought that it counted.  

She asked Ivan why she didn't have a name, but all he said was, "That's how life works if you're born into this." It had taken Blank years to figure it out, until she heard Ivan speak about it to the officials. She was born into the Red Room, and respectively the KGB and HYDRA. Later she never classified it as born. Blank preferred to speak the truth, and the truth was that she was made.    
Her mother and father were somewhere where she didn't know.  

In the Black Widow program twenty eight started out, but now there was only one. Blank was a survivor, even at six. 

But no one survives without scars. 

They were on her body, in her mind, in her heart. 

She had no one except for Ivan, who according to him, she was like his granddaughter. He had always been kind to her, but age had taken its toll on him.  Wrinkles were on his forehead, crows-feet, and his slicked back hair was flecked with gray. Losing the only shred of family, she had destroyed her.   
She was seven when they made her do it. HYDRA realized that Ivan could prevent them from molding her into the perfect assassin. The officials had come to the Red Room and had ordered her to kill the man.  She did it, her face blank as she was about to deliver the killing blow. He stared up at her in horror, wishing that he could have done something different. That he could have sent her with Natalia when she ran away. She hesitated for a millisecond, but snapped out of it, and killed him. During that time, she showed no emotion, but that night she cried herself to sleep. The next day the officials had caught wind of her crying.  

They soon made her forget to cry.   
_____________________________________________________________________________________   
When she was nine, HYDRA cut off her left arm and replaced it with a metal one, like the Soldier. About that time a mutation formed, and she grew wings like a bird. The glossy black feathers sprouted from her back, tendrils of skin snapping as they formed.  

From that moment, they experimented and wiped her until she was the perfect assassin. They made her forget about Ivan, and every seemingly normal thing about her life. HYDRA made her adapt to everything, from standing in the tundra with nothing on, from bearing the heat of the desert with full snow gear on. She was turned into a killing machine. She never failed, never faltered or hesitated. They had stolen everything from her, and when she wasn’t wiped, she started to grow a hatred for HYDRA. She wanted to run far, far away from it and everything associated with it. Sometimes she wanted to cry, but they had long ago taught her not to show weakness. She never tried to escape, afraid of what would happen if she got caught. Her kill list was impressive to them, and she felt proud of herself for being among the world's greatest assassins.  

They kept her locked up when she wasn't actively on duty she was in her room or in cryo sleep. Her room was pathetic, a small cot the only thing there, but she may as well had just slept on the floor. Not long since Ivan died, the KGB and the Red Room fell apart, and Blank was shifted over to HYDRA. They made her forget about the KGB, the Red Room, and Ivan. Sometimes they sprung up in her mind and she would feel something other than hopelessness.  

But it never lasted long. When the officials found out that she remembered they changed her programming and wiped her until she forgot. She was also fitted with a grey collar, making her energy suppressed. HYDRA had found a way to mess with her age, making her fit for any mission, whether it be simple intelligence or something that required planning and lingerie. 

She had heard stories of what the more corrupted agents of HYDRA did to the females, but they were ordered not to touch her, for fear of getting their arms ripped off. Even though they weren't allowed to touch her, that did not stop them from looking over her body when they had made her older. But once, one of them had taken it too far, trying to touch her, but soon he ended up in the hospital, both eyes missing. She was disciplined for that.  For years she went on missions, but while she did not change, her handlers did. Some were cruel and twisted, while others were at least a shred decent. The only thing that excited her was when she was moved. She was moved from base to base, a shadow.  

She knew about the Soldier, he did train her with all of the other girls in the Black Widow Program. Wherever he went though, she followed. Sometimes she was the only asset in the base, but she mostly travelled with the Soldier.  

She missed the Moscow Lights.   
_____________________________________________________________________________________   
She was given her next mission. Kill Nick Fury.


	2. Chapter 2

She was taken out to the extraction point, near Fury's apartment in Washington DC. Her handlers reminded her of her mission and she nodded, the black muzzle on her mouth preventing her from replying to them.  

She quickly scaled the building before entering his apartment through an open window. 'This is too easy.' She thought, and was on high alert. He must know something was going to go wrong.   
Pulling out a gun she creeped around the apartment, having memorized the floorplan before she had gotten there. Finding his room was easy, and there was a prickling of fear. Fear. She hadn't felt fear, but she knew it. She had seen it in her victims eyes and now she was sure that she looked the same as they had. His door was open and the Director was asleep. She silently walked into the room, gun at the ready. She was just about to fire when he bolted awake and pulled out his own gun. She was a fool. A fool for believing that he would be killed. There it was again, the fear. The fear of being caught. She had never been caught, and when she was her victims never stayed alive long enough to do anything about it. 

"Well, it's been awhile since HYDRA has come after me." 

She froze, how did the Director know she was from HYDRA? Her outfit gave nothing away about her organization, so how could he figure out. Had he seen the Soldier before. She didn't have long to think as her instincts kicked in.  

The trigger on the gun was pulled back, but to her dismay it barley grazed his shoulder. "And I thought HYDRA sent their best dogs to do their dirty work." 

Even though she didn't let it show, it cut her down. He was right. She was just a lapdog, sent to kill for them.  

She wanted to pull the trigger again, but she couldn't. Did her programming wear out again? All she could do was stand, stand there and even though the man couldn't see it through her muzzle, her mouth was open in shock.  

"Tell you what. I'm feeling generous. Why don't I take you to the Triskelion and interrogate you?" She nodded, feeling that it was the best option. The Director's apartment was a short drive to the Triskelion, but he kept her at gunpoint the entire time.  

Even though it was early in the morning the Triskelion was still active, SHIELD employees walking around.  

He led her through the twisting hallways, passing various agents who looked wary of her. They reached an interrogation room and the two agents standing outside of it made her put all of her weapons in a large plastic bag. She put four guns, two knives, and other various weapons in the bag until it was bursting. She stepped through a metal detector and she was clear to enter the room.  

The Director sat in a chair and she sat in the one across from him, staring at the glass wall that had a view of the hallway.    
With delicate fingers she took off the muzzle and set it on the table, staring past the Director.  

"Answer these questions truthfully, and I might turn your life around." She nodded, still not used to speaking. "Who do you work for?" He already knew, but she answered anyways, her voice hoarse. "HYDRA, but I used to work for the Red Room and the KGB." It was strange for her, saying so many words at once, but Fury accepted it. "What was your mission?" "To kill you." "How long have you been with HYDRA?" "Sixty-eight years." He stared at her, his one eye looking doubtful. "I was experimented on and they messed with my head. I can barely remember anything." She stated, her hands shaking. He seemed to take this into consideration and gave a slight nod. "And how do you feel about HYDRA?" "I – I hate them. They've made me kill, and I can't change that. I want to get away. Help me get away."  
For the first time in almost sixty years her mask slipped. It slipped and shattered on the concrete floor. 

Tears welled in her eyes, but she did not let them fall. "And what is your name?" She racked her head, trying to find some memory to tell her any sort of name she had ever gotten.   
Suddenly, her mind pinpointed on a random memory, from years ago.  

'Fourteen girls were in the training room of the old building that served as the Red Room's base of operations. They were working on the punching bags, the Soldier observing them. Most of the girls were whispering amongst themselves. The oldest one was eleven while the youngest girl was seven. The oldest ones were all together in their group, whispering about the other girls in the program. "What about that freak without the name?" One of them said loudly, turning to look at the girl at the end of the line of punching bags, being silent. "I have the perfect name for her!" Another one said, smirking. "Let's call her Blank!" It was not the most creative insult, but most of the girls in the program called her that. It was a shame that they all died.'

"I don't really have a name." "Didn't they call you anything?" He was getting annoyed with her now, and she knew not to test his patience. "The girls in the program called me Blank. When I went to HYDRA they called me the Angel." "What program?" She stared at him for a moment before speaking. "The Black Widow Program." 

He pinched the bridge of his nose and she remained still. 

"Now, you know of the Avengers?" He asked and she nodded, hearing the officials speak about the super heroes. "Here at SHIELD we like to expand our horizons, and the horizons of the world. I'm only asking you this because I think you are capable enough. Will you join the Avengers?" The question hit her hard and it took her a moment to consider what he was saying.  She could have a mind of her own. She could finally have thoughts, and she could finally start to remember. The damage that HYDRA had done was irreversible, but she could get one shred of something to clear all of the blanks in her mind.

"You want me to join a team of superheroes when I tried to kill you?" 

He chuckled and she managed a small smile.  

"I rarely believe in second chances, but you have potential to become a better person. I'll only ask one more time. Will you join?" 

With determination in her eyes, she stared at the Director. 

"Yes."


	3. Chapter 3

When Fury dropped by the tower and told the Avengers that they were going to get a new teammate, they were excited to meet someone new. But with excitement comes doubt, and some of them doubted how this new teammate would meet up to their expectations.

Pepper was freaking out, trying to renovate a whole floor for their new teammate. She loved interior designing and found some comfort in the fact that Fury had told them that they had a female and sent over her sizes. Pepper was a bit confused, seeing how the sizes were tiny for a woman, but still bought them.

Finally, the day arrived when they would meet their new teammate. The Avengers were watching TV in the living room when the elevator dinged.

The team and Pepper gathered at the entrance where Fury stepped out and they were amazed at how he was wearing his black trench coat even though it was getting hotter as summer approached.  
"Meet your new teammate, Blank." A young girl stepped out from behind him, and they were surprised, thinking that they were getting a young woman. A small green backpack with the SHIELD logo was strapped to her back. Her hair was bright red, in two French braids that went down to her thighs. Her features were delicate and her eyes were ice blue, looking like they could stare into your soul, freckles all over her cheeks. She was wearing combat boots, skinny jeans, a t-shirt, and a black jacket that was light and comfortable. She waved awkwardly, and they gave her small smiles, perplexed by the oddity of her name.

Pepper walked up to her, putting on her business face.

"Hi, I'm Virginia Potts, but you can call me Pepper." She said and stuck out her hand. Blank hesitated before shaking it, the idea of being in a regular setting still being foreign to her.

"Let me show you around the tower." Pepper said and led Blank to the elevator, explaining which buttons led where. She looked confused, not knowing how an elevator worked.

While the elevator doors shut, the Avengers and Fury were speaking in hushed tones.

"You brought a child to save the world?" Steve asked, glaring at the Director. "I offered her a position on this team and she took it. Trust me Rogers, she has the potential for an Avenger." Steve considered his next argument while Tony asked his own questions. "What the hell kind of a name is Blank? That's the real thing to be upset about here Capsicle." Fury stared at Stark, debating on if he should respond. In the end Fury decided not to answer, simply just turning around and waiting for the elevator. Once its doors opened he stepped in and turned to face the team. "Play nice and don't try and kill each other." He said as the doors shut and Fury disappeared from view.

/\/\/\

Meanwhile, Pepper was showing Blank around the tower. She was friendly, asking questions. "So where are you from?" She asked and it took the girl a minute to form a response. It had been a few weeks since Blank was released from HYDRA and their mind games. Her memories were coming back, slowly but surely. 

Sometimes they were fractions and fragments, other times she could remember full days, even weeks if she was lucky. But as small pieces of her memories were coming back, it was a sign that her programming was breaking down. That made her disappointed, seeing as how she would get terrible migraines, and sometimes even snap back into her killing mode. Yes, HYDRA had done their job well for their Angel.

"Russia." She responded as Pepper showed her the Activities Floor. The floor had a gym, pool, music room, dance studio, and even a library.

They went to Blank's new floor, two floors under the penthouse. The two went up to the ninety-second floor and Pepper showed Blank around.

There was an open kitchen that faced a small living room, the floors hardwood with a black couch and two grey armchairs surrounding a flat screen. Pepper led Blank down the hallway until they reached the last door. "This is your room, the other three rooms are for guests." Pepper explained as she opened the white door.

The room was the one of the largest bedrooms Blank had ever been in, and her mouth nearly opened in shock at it. The floors were cold marble and the walls were a light grey. The canopy bed was huge, the posts looking like birch trees. A mint green and pastel comforter was set on the bed, with a matching pillow set. In the corner, there was a full book shelf and desk. There was a giant walk-in closet that held all designer clothes in it. Blank was glad there were casual clothes, not wanting to wear dresses all the time. There was a mint rug in the center of the room that looked plush. One of the walls was complete glass and Maze got a perfect look at the New York skyline. "The glass wall is adjustable, so you can make it opaque." Pepper explained, and a hologram appeared with the settings for the wall on it. "I'll give you some time to settle in. JARVIS will tell you when it's time for dinner." She told Maze. "Thank you for showing me around." She responded and Pepper smiled and walked out, heading to the elevator.  
Blank sat on the bed, her thoughts taking over. She took off her jacket and stared at her metal arm. This was one of the main things that she struggled with. She wouldn't tell them, wanting to bury her past as much as she could. But there was one problem. She couldn't wear her jacket forever, as it was getting hotter and the team would go on missions.  
There was however, a temporary solution.

"JARVIS, set the temperature on my floor to sixty-eight please." She stated, thankful that Fury told her about the AI in the tower. "The temperature has been set to sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit." The disembodied voice responded and she thanked him.  
Blank got up and started to pace, trying to find something permanent. Now there was more pressure. She couldn't get hurt or get sick, but that rarely happened. Maybe SHIELD could help her. She pulled out the phone that Fury gave her and called him.

"Director Fury speaking." He said and Blank composed herself. "It's Blank, I'm calling to ask if SHIELD, uh, could make something that would disguise my left arm." She responded and waited for him to answer. "We can do that, it will come in a few days." "Thanks." He hung up and Blank felt much better about the situation. She headed to the elevator, intent on going to the roof as she put her jacket back on.  
Blank got there, and was blown away at the skyline. She set her jacket on the ground and two black wings unfurled from her back, fitting into the slits in the back of her t-shirt. Blank was thankful for the slight breeze, feeling free.

She stretched her wings, giving them a flap. It had been years since she had last flown, and Blank wondered if she could still do it. She got familiar to flapping her wings before starting to push herself up. It worked, and she was a few feet off the ground. Before attempting to starting flying, Blank set a reminder on her phone for dinner.  
Excitement hit her as Blank flew off Stark Tower. The wind blew in her face, and she gripped her phone, not wanting it to fall as she soared upwards. She did a few laps around the tower, grateful that she was high enough so that it was hard to see her.  
After what only felt like a few minutes her alarm went off, and Bank made it back to the roof. Her wings became non-visible and she put her jacket back on, suddenly hungry.

/\/\/\

Blank arrived at dinner, and took a bowl of pasta, greeting her new teammates. Dinner was enjoyable but awkward, the Avengers trying to get to know her better. It was going well until Tony had to run his mouth.  
"Seriously, what's with the name? Did your parents hate you or something?" He asked and she stared at him, not sure how to respond.

"It's a nickname." Blank was as close to the truth as she could get without exposing something. The rest of dinner passed fairly quickly and Blank figured out most of her teammates.  
Steve was polite but could get fairly angry with how somethings were run. Bruce was quiet but collected, trying to stay as calm as possible. Thor was loud and liked tales of battle and alcohol. Tony was loud and snarky but Blank noticed that he didn't like to be handed things and had an aversion to change. Clint acted like a child sometimes but was never unaware on what was happening. Natasha stumped her though. From what Blank gathered, she didn't take bullshit, but at some moments she was caring.

They watched movies for the night and then went to their own floors.

/\/\/\

Blank went up to the roof, speaking to JARVIS in the elevator. "If they want to know where I am, tell them I'm on the roof." She said and the AI replied. "Yes miss." She thanked him as the night air filled her lungs. Blank took off her jacket and began her flight around the tower.

This time though, she took it upon herself to get a tour of New York City.

She flew around, inspecting everything. The best part of it was the tour was that she flew to Liberty Island and sat on top of the Statue Of Liberty, enjoying the view from her spot on the crown. Blank sat there for a while, regaining her strength and thinking about the events that brought her there.

HYDRA would come for her. Blank knew that, she wasn't stupid. They would never let their Angel get away so easy. She had to be careful, they were everywhere. Blank hoped that they would still be in DC, searching for her there. Suddenly she lurched forward, almost tipping off the edge as pain stabbed her skull. Blank managed to grab a ridge before pulling herself up as a memory sprung to her mind.

_She was strapped down to a metal table as the five scientists wheeled her to the sterile room where they did their experiments. They were speaking in hushed tones about new ideas and procedures. It reminded her of when she met business men when she was undercover. "I was thinking about regeneration like what Strucker has with Weapon X." A short, thin man said, looking at notes as a fatter man scoffed. "Yes, but that was part of Weapon X's mutation you dolt! Didn't you read the packet he sent us? Besides, the she already has minor regeneration!"_

__

_The thin man threw the notes at the fat man. "The notes are right here! Maybe Strucker and some of his men could come here and do a similar procedure that would speed the regeneration up." He was hit on the head with the papers. "Don't be ridiculous!" The taller man at the back of the table exclaimed. "Let's do something simple. Do upgrades to the arm, maybe try what Strucker's been doing, but what we really need is a tracking device and a wipe." They nodded at him and wheeled her into the experimentation room._

__

_They hooked her up and read her vitals. "Now, I've developed the tracking device after the one the Asset has. This will survive anything, even cyro. It will go into the right wing." The man said while digging around in one of the many filing cabinets in the room. Obediently, her wings unfurled as they got their scalpels and tweezers. The man got the tracking device, a grey cube-like device which started to blink a faint red. One man made the first incision and kept cutting until he had made a square, down to the muscle that was slightly bigger than the tracking device itself. She tried not to scream through the mouth guard, as she was rarely under anesthesia. They had done that to make her stronger, but the pain was immense as the man implanted the device. As soon as the device was in, the skin started to regrow, pieces appearing in small chunks. It would take a few hours to heal, but it was starting.'_

Blank was breathing heavily, her head pounding. But now there was an option. The tracking device was still in her wing. They probably knew that she was in New York.  
Now there was nothing she could do, this was between life and freedom or suffering and imprisonment. She pulled out a small knife from her combat boot, and tried to remember where they had put the device. After a few minutes of searching Blank found the small, lump of raised tissue from the device.

She cut open her skin, past layers of feathers until she reached the device. Setting the knife down, Blank put her fingers in the wound, until she grasped the tracking device. With a small yelp, she ripped it out, feeling the blood pouring out.

Blank sat there for a few hours, holding the tracking device, even though the wound had healed in minutes. She would plant HYDRA a trail of lies, starting with the tracking device. Once she could fly again, Blank took off to Queens.

The tracking device was on the roof of some old apartments, but Blank knew that it would move, rather by wind or person.

If HYDRA wanted her, they would have to find her.


	4. Fourth Of July

Weeks passed and June turned into July. Blank still had trouble remembering who she was. She wasn't used to being treated like a human being, and still barely grasped being independent. All she was trained in was weapons, not making lunch or picking movies.

In fact, Blank wasn't used to having an actual bed, and slept in the air vents above her room, dragging blankets and pillows with her into the spacious vents. She wasn't ungrateful, but still needed to adjust to life, having thoughts and actions of her own.

She was quiet, not really talking to team often. The disguise for her arm came to her floor, unknown to the rest of them. There were multiple sleeves with material that felt like skin. Blank thanked Fury, finally being able to wear t-shirts, not having to be on the receiving end of questions about why she was wearing hoodies in the summer  
.  
They had tried to get her involved with watching movies or going out to eat, but Blank liked to keep to herself. She was sitting in the kitchen with the rest of the Avengers, absentmindedly listening to them talking about random ideas and things. "Tony, why is the coffee maker not working?!" Clint exclaimed, pressing multiple buttons at once. Blank had a confused look on her face, not knowing what he was talking about. "JARVIS, what's a coffee maker?" She asked and most of them stared at her in disbelief. "A coffee maker is a utensil or appliance in which coffee is brewed." She thanked him and went back to eating her eggs like she didn't just ask what the simplest thing was.  
Unfortunately, this happened often, and Blank knew that they would become suspicious about her and her past.

The next few days they were planning for Steve's birthday, which was on the Fourth Of July. Blank didn't know what they did for birthdays and JARVIS explained that people usually got gifts. She ordered some art supplies for him, seeing how he almost always carried a sketchbook with him.

The supplies got there the next day, and Blank had JARVIS teach her what wrapping paper was and how to properly wrap a present (The first ten attempts covered her living room in tape and different colors of wrapping paper).  
Finally the day of Steve's birthday arrived and the whole day was enjoyable.

Blank had been roped in by Tony and the rest of the team to singing the 'Star Spangled Banner'. She learned the lyrics quickly, and was ready for it.

They rode the elevator to Steve's floor and they snuck into his bedroom. Steve was sleeping like the dead, and the started.

"OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE-" They shouted and he bolted awake, looking at them like they were lunatics. Steve was a good sport and let them continue until the end of the song.

Pepper took him out shopping for the day while they prepared for a small party. Each team member had something to do. Natasha and Bruce were making the cake, Clint was making sandwiches, Thor was moving couches and blankets to the roof, Tony was getting alcohol, and Blank was in charge of decorations.

After having JARVIS tell her what to get, she spent the next hours blowing up red, white, and blue balloons. She hung streamers around the edge and stuck small flags around the chairs. As the final touch she added string lights around the furniture. Blank thought she did good and went to see how the others were doing. The cake was just getting put in the oven, Clint had ate all of the sandwiches and just decided to call in a pizza instead.

As it was nearing nightfall, Steve returned home. They were all waiting for him and took him to the roof where boxes of pizza, gifts, and a large cake were waiting for him on a coffee table from the living room. The string lights gave the roof a warm feel as they sat down.

It was planned that the little party was an hour before the fireworks began. They had cake and alcohol (Blank having soda) as they handed him their gifts. Steve opened Thor's first as the god told him what it was. "The Man of Iron told me to get you a sketchbook. That is Asgardian leather." He explained as Steve opened the box and held the sketchbook that was bound in multicolored leather. He thanked Thor as Natasha handed him a small box. "You'll need them." She said as he lifted two World War II guns and he also thanked her, placing them back in the box. Clint got him a leather jacket and Bruce got him multiple books of what happened in the last seventy years. It was Blank's turn and she handed him the large box with ease. "I thought you might like these." She told him as he opened it. He thanked her, looking at the art supplies with anticipation. Tony was last, and he was holding a small box that fit in the palm of his hand. Before he gave it to Steve though, he spoke. "You better like this Capsicle." Tony told the blond man as he passed him the box, handling it like it was his heart. Steve opened the box and almost started crying as he looked inside, as he was a little drunk. The others leaned over him and saw that in the box was a dainty gold pin with a circle connecting an eagle with the letters 'SSR' written on the eagle.  
He smiled gratefully at Tony and he put all of the gifts on the table. They all sat comfortably on the furniture and watched the fireworks go off.

A perfect moment.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning the Avengers Alarm went off at almost one in the morning. It startled Blank, who was asking JARVIS about the world. She got out of the air vent and changed into the suit that Tony got for her. She met with the team on the roof and they boarded the Quinjet, ready to go.  

Blank's suit was exactly alike to Natasha and she listened to Steve on the way over to the source of the alarm. "Be ready for anything out there. Tony, what's the situation?" He asked as they reached Manhattan. "Robots, not a lot let's make this quick so SHIELD can clean up and we sleep." Tony said as they touched down on the roof of a nearby building. 

They got into the fight and it was over quickly, the bots were poorly designed, and barely left a scratch on them.   
Blank got a cut on her leg from one bot, and it had cut through her suit and down her flesh. She finished it off in a matter of seconds and waited for the cut to heal. She would have to get the suit fixed, but was doing good. She was lucky that it didn't hit her left arm. After the fight SHIELD arrived and they helped in the cleanup. 

Going home was a relief, as Blank was covered in dirt and oil. She went to her floor, showered, changed into leggings and a t-shirt, and went back up into the vents. Her adrenaline was still high from the fight and decided to go flying. It was still dark outside and the warm air was pleasant. She went to the building in Queens, and saw that the device was still there. Knowing that HYDRA would get suspicious, she moved it to another rooftop.   
She went back to the Tower, still not tired.

Blank made her way to the dance studio, with the pointe shoes that JARVIS helped her order the day before. She put them on inside the studio, used to the old, worn shoes that were falling apart, instead of the silky pink shoes that she was wearing.  

Blank started stretching and warming up, missing ballet. Once she was ready, Blank fell into the rhythm of the dace the girls in the program did for the Red Room and the KGB. They had changed the routine every year, but she did the last year, the year when she was the last one standing. It didn’t matter that there was no music, as the moves came back to her.   

Slowly, Blank started moving differently, her eyes closing, until the whole dance was changed.  

Time seemed to move when she danced. It slowed down until it stopped, and Blank was lost. 

She came to a stop and finally opened her eyes, her feet sore from how long it had been. Blank sat down and took off her pointe shoes, stretching and rubbing her feet until she felt better.   
Blank went up to the elevator, suddenly worn out and tired from the events of the morning. "JARVIS, what time is it?" She asked as she shot up to her floor. “It is currently 4:47 AM miss.” The AI replied and the doors opened. Blank got out of the elevator and went to her room, exhausted. She got back into the vents, and bundled up, the vents cold.    
It had taken a few minutes, but Blank was finally asleep. 

/\/\/\/\

 

A few hours later, Steve stepped out of the elevator, wondering where Blank was. “Blank!” He called out, wandering down the hall to where JARVIS said her room was. He knocked on the door, wondering if she was still asleep. “Blank?” He asked, knocking again after a few minutes went by.  

Blank was startled awake by Steve calling her name and knocking on the door. She removed the grate and fell through the opening, landing on her bed. She thought it was lucky that the vent was under her bed. She went to the door and opened it seeing Steve on the other side.  

“What can I do for you?” She asked him, rubbing her eyes. "Tony and Pepper want to see you." He replied and she nodded, stepping out and closing the door behind her. "What floor?" He took a moment to think. "I think it's the penthouse living room, Pepper was speaking so fast I barely heard her." He told her and she thanked him, going to the elevator. 

Blank arrived at the penthouse living room where Pepper and Tony were waiting for her. 

 

"Steve said you needed me." She said and Pepper motioned her to take a seat in a red armchair across from the couple. 

"Yes, me and Tony have been thinking for a while and we have decided that the world should meet the new Avenger." "And what does that mean?" Pepper took a deep breath and Blank felt a pit in her stomach. "In a few days, there will be a press conference where you will be introduced." 

Blank almost swore that her heart had stopped beating for a few seconds. Her chest tightened as she thought about all of those people. To her, they were more like _vultures_ , waiting to pick her apart. They didn't seem to see her distress, as Pepper kept talking but Blank didn't hear her. 

But she found herself nodding along anyways. 

There was no getting out of it now. 


	6. Chapter 6

Every day for the last two days, Pepper would coach Blank on answering questions, acting appropriately, and most importantly, not pulling a gun on the press.  

When Blank wasn't working with Pepper she would be in the shooting range, using every weapon it had. 

Finally the day of the press conference arrived. She stayed up all night, shooting guns or dancing. Blank sat on the roof, her legs dangling off the edge. She watched the sun rise, inky black turning to deep pinks and oranges.    
She went to her floor and changed into the dress Pepper had forced her into wearing. It had thin straps and went down to her knees, and some of her scars showed. The dress was mint and Blank found herself concealing a gun and two knives under her dress.  

Blank sat on a chair where a small table with multiple mirrors and more makeup than she knew what to do with was in front of her. Pepper had arrived a few minutes ago and was doing Blank's hair, putting it up in an intricate braid, weaving in some thin gold strands of something that looked like fishing wire, but Blank had no idea what it was. She put light makeup on Blank, and admired her handiwork.  

Once she had finished, it was early morning and Pepper took her downstairs to the kitchen to eat with the rest of the team. She felt too overdressed at breakfast, seeing the rest of them in t-shirts and sweatpants.    
After breakfast, they went down to the second floor of the tower, where the conference rooms were, Tony going with them. Him and Pepper looked nice. Tony was in a black suit with a red and gold tie, and Pepper was wearing a floor length, strapless lavender dress.  

They arrived and walked on the makeshift stage where reporters were waiting. As soon as Blank arrived cameras went off like gunshots, momentarily blinding her.  

The trio walked to a podium where Pepper spoke, not trusting Tony to open with something as major as this. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen. This press conference was called because we have a very big announcement to make. We have a new Avenger."  

It didn’t take the press less than a second to zero in on Blank, murmuring breaking out. She could see various news crews, and people started clamoring, blurting out questions.  "We will be doing questions, so please be quiet." Pepper said as multiple people raised their hands. Pepper picked a man in a pinstriped suit.  

"Why is a child on a team of superheroes? How even old is she?" He demanded and people started agreeing as Pepper let Blank step up to the podium. "Well, I'm fourteen, and if I wasn't qualified, they wouldn't have put me on the team." She answered, hands shaking as she rested them on the podium, glad and embarrassed that Pepper had to get her a stool, so that she could be seen. 

The press conference went smoothly, Blank only giving basic information. They were almost finished, until she had made a grave mistake.   
"You in the blue dress." She said, pointing to a woman with blonde hair, who looked rather unpleasant. Blank could hear Tony and Pepper talking about the woman, who was apparently would do anything for a few questions.   
"Christine Everhart, Vanity Fair Magazine, may I ask a few questions?" 

Blank shrugged and could faintly hear Tony saying that this was a terrible idea. "Sure, I guess." She replied, wanting to ask the woman what in the world Vanity Fair was. 

"This press conference is almost over, but I still know nothing about you. Some sources say that there is more to you than just some girl." Blank steadied herself, looking Christine strait in the eyes. "What's more to me?" She asked innocently.    
"There are rumors that you are an assassin, care to comment on that?" Blank took a deep breath, remembering her lies. "No, I'm not an assassin." _'Not anymore.'_ She thought darkly. "Another thing, what can you do that your teammates can't?" Her tone was a little harsh, and Blank wanted to strangle her.  

"I am highly trained in weapons and hand-to-hand combat." She replied simply, thinking that was it, but Christine was just getting started. "Anyone can shoot a gun, you know, it doesn't require skill." A small smile stretched onto Blank's face, concealing rage. She replied, her tone sickly sweet even though it was disturbing, coming from someone so young.   

"It takes skill to shoot them between the eyes though."   

That statement shot shivers up the reporter's spines, but Christine pressed on. "Some even say that you volunteered for experimentation, is that true?"  

Pepper had to stop Blank from pulling out one of her knives. Blank tensed, no-one should volunteer for something as horrific as she had to go through.   
"No, I didn't volunteer. You said that you didn't know anything about me, correct?" Christine nodded, thinking she might get an answer. An almost sadistic smile was on Blank's face as she continued. "Whatever you expected me to tell you is very wrong. Do you want to know why I didn't speak about it? I didn't volunteer, but they still experimented on me. I could count on one hand the times they put me under anesthesia. It was only three times. They wanted me to adapt to everything, including pain."   
The room was silent, all cameras pointed on Blank who had an almost feral look in her eyes. Christine smiled, she was still fighting this battle of words.   

"You keep saying they. Who are these people?" Blank's blood boiled.    
"If I told you, they would kill you." She said the last few words out like venom, wanting to kill Christine. At that moment, she had realized what she had done.   
   
Look at the impression she had made on the world. She should've never spoken. Pepper quickly started cleaning up what had happened. "That's all the time we have for today." She said and quickly ushered Blank and Tony to the elevator where they went back to their floors.    
It would only take a few minutes, but to Blank it felt like hours. She sat against the wall, her head in her hands.   

The elevator stopped at the living room where everyone was watching a movie, almost oblivious to the three of them. "How did the press conference go?" Steve asked as they sat down on the couches and chairs.   

"You know that crazy reporter, Christine Everhart? She was here today, and it looked like short-stack here wanted to kill her." Tony said and Blank suddenly stood up, marching to the elevator.  

A few moments went by until they started hearing gunfire and classical music coming from above them. "What's happening JARVIS?" Bruce asked as they all stood up, listening. "Young miss is in the shooting range." Came the reply and the team went to the elevator wanting to make sure that Blank was alright.   

The door to the shooting range was open and they watched as she hit the bullseye every time, almost shooting strait through it.   

The strange thing though was that classical music was playing and Blank was wearing pink pointe shoes. She was dancing. During turns and leaps she would shoot at the targets.  

It was a beautiful dance of death. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therapists are going to become constant.

Blank sat on her bed, watching TV, where they were talking about the newest Avenger.  
"Today the world got a shock as there was a new addition to the superhero team called the Avengers. At a press conference at Avengers/Stark tower, the girl whose name is Blank appeared officially for the first time. At the conference she had gotten into a heated event with reporter Christine Everhart. This a clip of the event."  
The reporter, Michelle disappeared as the clip rolled. Blank watched every agonizing moment, watching her speech to Christine. Once it was over she saw Michelle's face again.

"The newest Avenger seems to have a past that people are dying to know about. With me tonight is psychologist Erick Brown. Erick, what can you tell me about this girl?"  
Suddenly, Blank saw a middle aged, balding man with glasses. "Well, I think it's safe to say that this girl is mentally unstable, judging by her response to Ms. Everhart. She should get serious counseling and therapy. Whoever these people are who did this to her must be tracked down. She was probably very afraid of them. I do not think that it's wise to let someone with this much weight on their shoulders be a part of a team like this." Blank scoffed as he went on of what she could get help with. She wasn't afraid. It was HYDRA who should be afraid, as one of their most powerful assets were missing.  
Her phone started ringing, and Blank saw that it was Fury who was calling her. She answered and he wasted no time.

"What the hell were you thinking, getting on the media's bad side?" He asked, mad. "I don't know. It was the only way that Everhart wouldn't end up dead or maimed." She replied and heard the director sigh. "Look. I'm looking at the reports and the news, and I have a solution. You will do this." He said and Blank wondered what he wanted.  
"I'll be sending a therapist to the tower every week for one day. We have plenty at SHIELD so if there is a problem, we can get you another one." Blank agreed, she did need help. "One will be coming every Thursday." She made a mental note, today was Monday, so she'd have plenty of time to prepare. Just as she thought that he would hang up, Fury continued.

"Also, as an Avenger you will also work for SHIELD as an agent." "Okay, is that it?" She asked, wanting to throw the phone across the room. "That's all." Fury said and hung up.  
Blank turned off the TV and went to the elevator. "JARVIS, where are the others?" She asked the AI. "The rest of the team is in the living room miss." She got into the elevator and pressed the right button.

"Put a reminder that for every Thursday a therapist will be in the building. Oh, and just call me Blank." She said and JARVIS agreed.  
Blank arrived at the living room where they were talking. They greeted her as Blank took a seat in a black armchair.

"So what's happening?" Bruce asked, like he already knew that she needed to tell them something.

"I wanted to let you guys know that Fury just called, and he's sending a therapist here every Thursday. He thinks that I need help." They stared at her for a moment, having watched the press conference. "Is that all?" Bruce questioned and she nodded, standing up.

Blank went back to her room and took a shower, got changed, and got in the vents. She was exhausted, emotionally and physically.  
It took her a few minutes to realize that Fury was right. She needed help. Blank wondered what people were saying about the new Avenger. She drifted off into an uneasy sleep, troubled.

* * *

Blank fell into a routine for the next couple of days. She would get up early, change, fly around on the roof, she would go to breakfast, read, exercise, go to the shooting range, spend time with the team, and then sleep.

It was relaxing, falling into the same rhythm every day, but she knew it would change on the day she met her therapist.  
She woke up at five on the Thursday, dreading everything. Blank went up to the roof and went flying around the city, hoping she would relax, but to no avail.  
After breakfast was over and Blank was putting away the dishes, JARVIS' voice rang out. "Blank, your therapist has arrived." She thanked him and the rest of the team looked up from their breakfast as the elevator dinged and an older man stepped out.

He showed his SHIELD badge as he set his briefcase on a coffee table. Blank walked up to him, the dread was worse than ever. "Hi, I'm Blank, nice to meet you." She said and shook his hand, something she had learned a few days ago. "Hello, I'm Dr. Roberts. He said and took a seat in a black armchair while Blank sat across from him on the comfortable loveseat.

She watched as he pulled out a clipboard and started asking questions. The day was torture for Blank as he sat in that chair for seven hours. Dr. Roberts had been very professional, jotting things down and asking questions.

After he left, Blank called Fury. "How was Dr. Roberts?" He asked and she sighed. "Too professional, like a piece of stone." She said and it was his turn to sigh. "I'll find someone else."

That was how it was for five weeks. Blank hated all of her therapists and every time she called Fury, he already knew what she was calling for.  
To combat her awful Thursdays, she had thrown everything out of a spare bedroom and got new furniture. Blank called it 'The room where she spent a whole day with someone who was as boring as a brick wall'. It was filled with pillows, blankets, and soft rugs.

Her next therapist was a woman who was like a worm, she wanted to know everything. She only made it to the second hour, wanting to know about how she was raised. Blank had promptly told her to, "Get the hell out of this tower!" And she had.

She had called Fury strait after that and he had enough. "That's it. I'm sending in the best therapist we have. They are for the people who hate everyone else."  
That Thursday came and Blank sat in the vents above the spot where the elevators are a few feet away. The elevator dinged.


	8. Chapter 8

The elevator doors opened and Blank jumped out of the vents, landing right outside the open doors. She stepped out of the way and a young man stepped out of the elevator, the rest of the team looking at him as they watched the news.

He was tall and thin, his wild hair dyed a mint green with darker highlights. He was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, a red flannel shirt over it, and black Converse. He said a black messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He didn't look like the therapist that Blank had envisioned. He stepped out of the elevator, showing his SHIELD badge.

"Hi, I'm Klein, Fury said you burn through therapists faster than I burn through sketchbooks." He said and shook her hand. He was bubbly but not bubbly enough so that Blank wanted to stab his eyes out. "So, let's get started. If there is anywhere you want to go that is like a safe bubble we can do that." He said as they went to the elevator.

Blank thought that Fury might be right, she like Klein, he was one of those people you could trust. They got out on her floor and she led him to her therapy room.

He took a seat and she did the same. "So, I've read the file that Fury gave me, and I think we have something promising." "What?" How was anything about her promising? "Well, by the way, that they raised you to be emotionally distant and have no personality, you can choose who you want to be."

She nodded, wanting to see where he was going with this. "So, who do you want to be?" She had to think about that. "I don't know. I want to feel like a person and not a machine." Or maybe she did want to be a machine, Blank's thoughts were a jumble.

He reached into his messenger bag and handed her a thick sketchbook. "Let's try art therapy. That's a type of therapy where you can analyze art or create it. Let me teach you some basic things about art, like people and places, does that sound okay?" Blank had liked how Klein had run everything by her before he did it.

By the time he left, Blank could draw and was adequate at it. But before he left he gave her homework. "I want you to create a piece that represents who you are, whether a self-portrait or an object." She nodded and told him goodbye as the elevator doors closed. He had made it a full day.

She called Fury and he picked up. "Tell me you drop him." He said and she chuckled a little. "No, he made it a full day. He stays."

 

* * *

 

 

Every free minute she had (which were quite a lot) Blank was painting. She ordered some supplies and had started to paint her piece. She was doing the background when her phone rang.

It was Fury.

"You have your first mission with Clint. The Quinjet will arrive in ten minutes. Clint's handler will inform you on what it is." He hung up and Blank changed in an instant. She loaded all of her weapons and was about to leave when she paused and opened the nightstand. Inside was her muzzle.

She took it and held onto it. Blank was changing, and although she loathed HYDRA, she wanted to keep one last part of herself. She met Clint on the roof and they waited for the Quinjet.

Blank fixed the muzzle on her face and Clint stared at it. "What the hell is that?" He asked and she pointed to her mouth and shook her head.

Clint stared at it more. Why would she wear it if she couldn't talk? The Quinjet arrived and they went inside, each getting handed files, the backup men in tactical gear surrounding them.

They had to recover SHIELD information that was stolen by a small terrorist group in Nevada. Blank had to take off the muzzle to ask Clint's handler, a stiff man in a black suit. "Is it a kill or no kill mission?" She asked and he raised an eyebrow. "What?" He asked as if he didn't understand. "Do we kill the group?" She asked, and he seemed to understand. "Don't kill their leader, but the rest of them are fair game."

Blank was satisfied and put the muzzle back on her face. In record time they were there. It was the middle of the desert, in summer. The backups who were stationed around the area looked very hot already, while Blank didn't care about the heat, even with wearing a black suit.

She was in her element. She was trained for this.

Blank and Clint took out the two guards who were standing at the foot of the plateau where their base was.

The went inside, Blank's guns at the ready. This was going to be fun. She didn't enjoy killing, but only if it was the lowest of the low.

The base was small and anyone who got in her way ended up on the floor with a bullet to the head. Clint and Blank split up as soon as they entered the base and regrouped in the computer room. Blank took out a flash drive and got all of the stolen information back. They destroyed the computers and went back to the Quinjet.

They were flown back to a SHIELD base back in New York where they were debriefed and they went home.

Blank showered and changed and continued her painting. She put the muzzle back in her nightstand and headed down to dinner where they had hamburgers. They watched movies and Blank found herself going up to the roof.

She flew around the city, looking at the world below her. This was refreshing. She felt at peace as she watched her city. Finally, Blank went back to the tower, where tension was bubbling up.


	9. Chapter Nine

At breakfast the next morning, Steve walked in, looking furious.

"Tony," He said walking up to the genius, who was eating blueberry pancakes. "I have to ask you a question." Tony looked up at him with a go on gesture. "Where did you get that pin?" He asked and Tony stared at him, still not talking. "What pin?" He asked and Steve glared. "The one you got for my birthday."

Blank watched from her place on top of the fridge, no one noticing her as they were all caught up with what was going on between Steve and Tony.

"Why do you want to know?" Tony asked defensively, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood up. Steve's glare turned into a look of pain, and Blank wanted to know why. "Because it belonged to my Peggy, the one woman I ever loved." The rest of the team was listening eagerly now.

"Did you ever think that she's not your Peggy?" Tony retorted and Steve glared at him again. "Where did you get the pin? Did you steal it from her?!" He demanded and Tony pulled out his phone. "Fine. Fury gave me her number a while ago, in case you wanted to call her."

He dialed her number and put it on speaker, looking triumphant. It rang twice before someone answered. "Tony, why are you calling?" An old voice questioned him. "Hey Peggy, I gave Steve one of your pins for his birthday and he thinks that I stole it from you. Is that true?" He asked, and Steve was still glaring.

"I gave you that pin years ago Tony, why did you give it to him now?" She questioned and Tony's ears turned red. "I don't know." He mumbled and she chuckled. "Are you are still coming to visit in a few months? It's been almost a year since I last saw you. Anyways, I have to go, goodbye."

The call ended and Steve stared at Tony. "You visit Peggy? How the hell do you know her?!" He demanded, and the smaller man looked sheepish.

"Look. Peggy is my adoptive aunt. Called her Aunt Peggy when I was a kid," He looked blissful as he remembered his youth, but it was Tony's turn to look pained. "One Christmas, when Howard was busy still looking for you," At this, he jabbed his finger in Steve's direction. "We were opening gifts with Jarvis and Ana and she stood up near the window. The next thing I knew, Peggy was shot through the window. We rushed her to the hospital, and it was an emergency because even Howard came downstairs. She was shot through her shoulder, barely missing her heart. I'll never forget, she gave me those two pins she always wore before she went into surgery, so that if she died, I'd have them."

Tony's story touched all of their hearts and tears were threatening to fall from his eyes, and it was the same with Steve. "I-I'm sorry Tony." He said slowly, but the smaller man turned away from him and went to the elevator, not speaking to any of them.

Blank wondered if she should follow him, but decided not to, if Tony wanted to be alone, then he would be alone. She got off of the fridge and had something to eat, and went to the elevator.

Just as she was about to hit the button, Clint's voice cut through the air. "Want to spar?" Clint asked the rest of them. Steve, Natasha, and Blank agreed, while Bruce was just going to spectate. They all headed to the training room, a large room where punching bags lined the walls, and a large mat was at the center of the room.

"Who's going first?" Asked Clint, who looked at Steve, Natasha, and Blank, sizing them up and seeing who was more vulnerable. He pointed at Blank who smirked as they got on the map.

The rest of the world fell away as she sized Clint up, looking for weaknesses. He made the first move, going to knock the wind out of her, but Blank stepped to the side, dodging the blow.

Clint stumbled from the unexpected change in Blank's direction, making him lean over slightly. She swung her legs over him, and wrapped her legs around his throat, slowly choking him. But Clint used her weight to his advantage and threw himself to the ground, pinning Blank under his back. Using her disguised metal arm to her advantage, she was able to lift him off of her and they both got back on their feet.

Clint tried to sweep her legs out from under her, but Blank jumped forward, tackling Clint to the ground. She started punching his face, but he kicked her off of him and Blank landed a few feet away. It was only a few seconds but Clint started punching her.

Suddenly, her knee came up as hard as it could, and hit Clint in his stomach, knocking him back off of her. She quickly ran to him and sat on top of him, punching his face before choking him. This continued until she won, and they continued. Blank was pleased that she managed to get a few hits on Steve and Natasha, but never had the upper hand for long.

Maybe if she used her wings she might have a better chance of winning, but she didn't think it would be practical. Soon enough it was time for dinner but Tony didn't join them. Blank thought that he was probably locked away in his lab.

They had takeout, and Blank was surprised when Clint ate almost three boxes while she could barely finish one.

After dinner, she went back to painting, unaware of the disaster that was brewing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, let me apologize for dropping off the face of the planet for months. School has started, I have band and cheer, and I am so lazy. I had actually pre-written all of these chapters, I just never get around to posting them. Sorry. I will be trying to get a regular posting schedule, probably every Saturday or somewhere around that time.


End file.
